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Artificial Insanity
Chasing the Ghost As he glided through the night sky, Ryuichi felt a rush he hadn't felt in years. A sense of exhilaration and wonder at the endless possibilities before him. His mind had wandered off, much to the chagrin of his companion, who had otherwise been engaging him in conversation. Feeling her eyes on him...or...well...she was in her Anti-Soul Arm form, but he figured the analogy would hold true. Master, my sensors detect trace amounts of class A spiritual particles lingering within the area. stated ADA. With a nod he descended onto the ground, weaving a quick Ginto, and disappeared into the darkness. He'd been tracking this creatures spiritual energy for the past few nights, and he had tried damn near every conceivable method to stealthily approach it. It must have a third eye or some precognitive sense, because even with his impressive skills, he'd been unable to pin its exact location down. As soon as he found a trace, it was already gone. But he if anything enjoyed challenges, even if his patience was wearing thin, he would eventually find it. With a pep in his step and jingle in his whistle, Keigai Honrui merrily made his way down the road. After leaping through a on Mt. Myōbu, Keigai landed face first into the pavement and laid there for a good few hours. Deciding he was hungry, Keigai began to search for a snack amidst the night sky. "Hmm... I think I'll have some cake!" he called, tossing his hands in the air. As his hands reached up high, touching the night sky, a wave of spiritual energy brushed over him. Despite this sudden revelation, Keigai had little care and was more focused on his delicious desert. Ryuichi nearly threw his hands up in frustration, as for the upteenth time in the last hour he lost the trail. Again. This was simply ludacris, as he learned his quarry could "send" their spiritual signature elsewhere, and in multiple locations at the same time. He briefly considered retreating for the night to upgrade his equipment. Then he felt it, a stir, or rather...a blot of sorts, of spiritual pressure. He recognized the feeling before. "Master?" ADA questioned. "I know. Garganta. But...it doesnt appear to be a Hollow. A Shinigami perhaps?" He questioned. "My sensors also indicate that the signature does not match any Shinigami listed in our databases. And the next rotation isnt for another eight months sir." added ADA. Ryuichi narrowed his eyes, contemplating his next move. At this point it was simply an unknown. What to do? "I have also intercepted transmissions from Shinigami across several cities. There has been a significant increase in the number of rogue shinigami resurfacing sir." she said. "Indeed. Well, I suppose we'll have to investigate this matter won't we?" replied Ryuichi. "Only if you're cautious sir. Many of them were renown for their immense spiritual pressure and prowess. I prefer that you not drown before you learn to fly master." Smirking, Ryuichi rapidly sped towards the unknown signature, hiding within the shadows to mask his presence. It took only a few seconds, a clear demonstration of his speed before he was within close range. Landing on a nearby building, he spied on the figure walking under the starlight street. "I hope they have chocolate!" Keigai called, doing a spin as he walked. He was completely oblivious to his tracker. Ryuichi was silent for some time. Although ADA was interfaced with her master, she didnt always have complete access to his surface thoughts. "Sir?" she asked tentatively. "......I'm not quite sure what to make of him." he said suddenly. "He could be aware of our presence, and simply acting in this," she paused briefly, likely deciding what word was appropiate. "...manner." she finished. "If he is, its a very convincing act. But I doubt it. Although..." Ryuichi sized up the Shinigami, the spiritual power radiating from this being was far greater than his own. But power didnt equate to skill. He'd proven that to every opponent who underestimated him. "And one he shall prove to you if you're not careful. I've always found that part of you so interesting. That contradiction between your pride and humility." she said, interrupting his thoughts. If she were in a physical body right now, he'd be glaring at her, but since she wasn't, he settled for sending a jolt of spiritual energy her way, along with the image of her bum getting spanked. She didn't respond, but he could tell that if she had a mouth she'd be smirking. "Master, I had no idea. Perhaps we should be spending our time defining the context of this relationship?" Shaking his head warily, he turned back to his quarry. Only to find him missing. "Damn." he said dryly. With a sigh, he leapt down onto the street. Whether the Shinigami knew of his presence or not didnt matter anymore. He just wanted to get this done. He looked everywhere but couldnt find the Shinigami, though it was obvious he was still in the area; it was saturated with his spiritual pressure. Defiantly he extended his senses, and in a split second, ADA's thoughts clouded his own as she detected a presence. He turned around, finding his quarry staring absently at him. He was mildly surprised, but didnt show it, instead the stoic visage his grandfather had patented masking his features. "Is there a reason a Shinigami is visiting the human world without proper authorization?" he said cooly. Almost as if on cue, from the shadows of the night Keigai leaped outward with his arms extended and a very odd smile on his face. "Chocolate!" he bellowed, slamming into Ryuichi head first. Rolling across the floor, Keigai landed on his bum and let out a chuckle. "Blastoise! Head Bash!" he called, pointing to his head. It seemed that only Keigai found this humorous. "Do you have chocolate cake?" Keigai asked, spinning his head at Ryuichi. "So it was more than just act. He really is just insane." quipped ADA. Ryuichi reluctantly agreed. He rubbed the sore spot on his chest, where he'd been hit. It wasnt often, but there were times he was caught unawares. He peered down coldy at the Shinigami, weighing his options. On one hand, he should either leave this being alone, or give it a mercy killing. As good at medicine as he was, he didnt have the knowledge necessary to help a case like this. And given the power of such a being...it was too dangerous to leave hiim unattended. If he had a violent episode....there's no telling what kind of damage he bring. "There's a hiking trail just due northeast of here, that leads to a relatively undisturbed forest. If we could perhaps lure him away...." ADA said. Though this was communicated telepathically as opposed to vocally. He responded in kind, "My sentiments exactly. He mentioned...cake? Well, he'll soon find that the cake is a lie." Offering a hand to the wayward Shinigami he helped the man up. "A chocolate cake?" Ryuichi says with feigned surprise. "Actually I do have one. I was just heading back to get it. Why don't you follow me, and we can share it?" With a tug he pulled the stranger forward attempting to lead him northeast. Pausing for a moment, Keigai raised a hand to his chin. Changing stance a few seconds later, Keigai locked eyes with Ryuichi and quickly announced "Cake Time!". Gripping Ryuichi's hand, he bolted in the direction Ryuichi was heading with passion. Despite himself, Ryuichi allowed the Shinigami to drag him along, though he did give directions as needed. It didnt take long, considering the sheer level of speed said Shinigami possessed. Once they were far enough, Ryuichi called them to a stop. "The cake should be around here somewhere." He said. Peering off into a nearby grove, he gestured with his hand. "There. I buried it in a box. Go and dig it out, I'll get the table ready." He almost felt bad for the Shinigami. Almost that is. But it needed to be done. Wordlessly as the Shinigami's back was turned, ADA assumed the form of ZEUS, with Ryuichi feeding a Silver-Tube into the magizine, with a click, likely getting the attention of the Shinigami busily digging into the ground. Solemnly he stared down the barrerl of his gun to his opponents head, "Sayonara, Shinigami." He fired. As the shot went off, moments before it struck, Keigai disappeared from sight. "Not.... NICE!" Keigai called, appearing from behind Ryuichi. His fist, coated in spiritual energy was aimed directly at Ryuichi's head. "Why do opponents always try to attack from behind? Its not like I actually need see them to defend myself." thought Ryuichi. As Keigai's fist neared his head, his form wavered like mist, before disappearing completely to any onlooker. Yet for him, he simply ducked. Shifting the weapon so that the barrel rested on his shoulder, pointing upwards towards Keigai's torso, he fired a stream of cerulean light, about as thick as Ryuichi's arm, that sped towards Keigai. Hitting Keigai directly in the chest, Keigai flew back and proceeded to roll across the floor. Lifting himself up, Keigai rubbed his head and let out an "Ow". Lifting himself up, Keigai glanced over at Ryuichi and said "You lied about the cake! I have to teach you a lesson know!". Black energy surrounded his fist, not relying on sheer spiritual energy this time. "Bala!" Keigai called, lunging towards Ryuichi. "Bala? He's a...hollow? No...a hybrid. Damn. This is worse than I thought." Leaping up into the air to dodge the assault, he was momentarily taken back by his opponents speed, as a bala-charged fist crashed into him. Using the force of the blow, he spun his body around, sidestepping to his opponents side. Still gripping his rifle, he slammed into Keigai's exposed ribcage before leaping back, cocking the pin on his weapon and firing a slavo of rounds. Three beams of condensed energy arc'ed towards Keigai, as Ryuichi prepared his next attack. Directly hitting Keigai, a plume of smoke arose from the attack. Only silence came from the smoke cloud. Ripping through the cloud with his Zanpakutō, Keigai rushed towards Ryuichi with a smile on his face. "My skin is tough!" he called, mocking the Quincy. "Hierro huh? Damn. Very durable too." ADA had been largely silent during the combat, though she had been busy analyzing Keigai, determining if any what his capabilities were. The results were...mixed at best. I would suggest a sustained assault with long-range and close-range tactics master. I recommend using GEMINI. she said. Right. Reconfigure to GEMINI mode! he replied. As Keigai began closing the distance, the Barret M98 glew with an intense black light, as it transformed into a pair of slick Colt M9's held in each of Ryuichi's hands. Instantly he was charging towards Keigai, firing several shots, their power comparable to a powerful strike of a Zanpakutou, one shot hitting the Zanpakutou, in an attempt to knock it to the side as Ryuichi barreled into his opponent with a powerful elbow strike with his right arm. Running towards Ryuichi, Keigai was not phased by his Zanpakutō being shot away. Letting the blasts from what Ryuichi refereed to as GEMINI fire at him, the result lead to scalding marks along his body. His smile remained however, Keigai was to senseless to take such an injury with any seriousness. Directly in front of Ryuichi now, Keigai went for a simple strike with his fist. "TAG!" he energetically yelled. "He doesnt care if he gets injured, he's fighting like a berserker! But thats in my favor, since his attacks are so simple." Shifting from hs previous attack pattern, Ryuichi slipped to the side, narrowly dodging the simple attack. Crossing his arms, his left slammed into his opponents backside, while his right he smashed into Keigai's stomach. With a flourish he wrenched his arms back in an attempt to flip his opponent through the air. Flipping through the air, a smirk rested on Keigai's face. Landing several feet away, Keigai's feet were the first to touch the ground. As his feet met the earth, the ground below him shattered. Glancing over at Ryuichi, he lifted a hand and laughed. "El Estática" he callled, a discharge of black spiritual energy surrounding both him and Ryuichi. Glancing to the right, his Zanpakutō laid stuck in the ground. Walking over to the blade, he lifted it up and said "I'm not sure if you like games..." His spiritual aura began to calm as he slowly lifted his blade up. "I guess play time is over!" he called as his sword pointed to the sky. "Take him in your claw, maim his skin and wrought his bone, Nijūgaryū!" he called. As soon as he finished this sentence, a bolt of lightning struck him and a plume of smoke arose around Keigai. "It appears he's taking this battle seriously." said ADA. "Shikai huh? This should be interesting. But that lightning may prove...problamatic. I'll have to find some way of countering it." Ryuichi replied. "You would need a ground to disperse the electric discharge or perhaps you could find a means of repulsing his attacks with a magnetic field." Ryuichi smirked as he hunched low. "I think I've got an idea." Letting their minds meld together, Ryuichi channeled his spiritual throughout his body. ADA began the feedback cycle, absorbing his energy, and accelerating it, again and again, his spiritual power steadily rising. Then thin white threads expanded outward from his head, latching on to the rest of his body, pulsing with power. He disappeared. There was indication of movement, no flicker, or accompanying sound. He simply vanished, like a ghost. An instant later he appeared above his opponent, spiritual energy cackling as it gathered at the tips of his GEMINI, as a shell was ejected from each gun respectively. "Silver-Tube Cartridge Expended." ADA said robotically. While temporary, his shots were at least five times stronger than they were before. Not even the Hierro of an Espada would protect him now. He fired. Dual beams of radiant light blasted out from his guns spiraling around one another until they formed a single powerful cero-like beam, hurtling towards Keigai. As the beams fired towards the plume of smoke concealing Keigai, they ripped through the cloud as if it was paper. Dispersing, the clouds revealed Keigai standing with his clothes charred and several abrasions and burns along his bare skin. Leaning on one knee, Keigai continued to smile at Ryuichi. Lifting up his twin hook swords, electricity surged around him. "El Estática x10!" he called, swiping downward with both. A wave of black electricity exploded from him, aimed directly at Ryuichi. As it came crashing down upon him, Ryuichi quickly glided back, weaving through the canopy of tree's, as Keigai's lightning wave washed over and vaporized the tree's on contact. "He must be proud of his Hollow powers. Well, this only makes it easier for me." Continuing with his backwards motion, Ryuichi welcomed the sensation as he ripped stray spiritual particles from the lightning wave. Just as it closed upon him, the air behind Ryuichi was violently torn open - a Garganta. The attack harmlessly passing through his previous space. An instant later, a ways in front of Keigai, the sky was once again torn to reveal Ryuichi calmly stepping out of the portal. "You're not the only one with a few tricks up his sleeve." he said with a smirk. He gestured with GEMINI in hand. The message obvious. Come get some. Finding the challenge amusing, Keigai raised his blades above his head. "Your a fun one!" Keigai called, lunging forward. Despite the fair distance between the two, Keigai leaped and leaped fast. Directly in front of Ryuichi, he went for a cross slice with both of his hook swords. "Hmph. As always...your attacks are so simple." Shaking his head to emphasize his point, he disappeared as the attacks crossed through where his space was. Only to reappear in a crouch off in Keigai's peripherial, a single foot supporting his weight on the edge of Keigai's hook sword. He was facing the same direction Keigai was, a single eye gazing curiously at the Shinigami. "I sincerely hope this isn't all you have. ADA and I haven't even gotten started yet." He said leveling a single GEMINI at Keigai's head. Without waiting for a reply he opened fire. As the shot fired, Keigai was overjoyed by Ryuichi's comment. As the blast of energy came towards him, in almost split second timing he spun his body and sliced through the shot. His speed had increased greatly in his Shikai state. Now with Ryuichi in front of him, he gripped down on his hook swords. The result sent a jolt of electricity directly towards Ryuichi who stood a few feet away, Ryuichi was under estimating the wrong guy. If he was surprised his face didnt show it as Ryuichi was hurled back as the bolt of lightning connected with his body. The ground detonated with extreme force as he plowed through the ground like a train, smoke and dust obscuring his position. "I see your finally getting serious. But it'll take more than that." a voice said from the smoke. As it cleared, Ryuichi stood, with only minor burns and tears over his clothing until it...stitched itself up again. Other than that he looked relatively unharmed. "Show me. Your Bankai." He said pointing a transformed ZEUS at Keigai. "Otherwise...you wont survive this attack." A soft humming noise was the only indication that something was amiss, then spiritual energy, began circulating around the barrel of his rifle, shining brightly for but a moment. "Hell's Arrow of Judgement!" A single spiritual bullet was fired, its power easily dwarfing any other shot he's fired. Keigai would only have a split-second to react as the bullets speed was even faster than before. The blast enveloped Keigai, creating a plume of smoke that took up the entire area. The attack surely had left a heavy mark on Keigai. The smoke did not settle for several minutes, slowly wafting away from the battlefield. A sole darkened figure stood at the epicenter of where the attack hit, with a heavy veil surrounding it. Taking a step, Keigai came into Ryuichi's sight. A bird-styled mask sat upon his face, and his clothes were burned along the edge. His hook swords were pulsing with spiritual energy and electricity warped the ground around him. "I'm back..." he said, his tone different then before. "He must have slipped on that mask right before he was hit. The massive burst of energy probably messed with of Hell's Arrow of Judgement homing ability. Well, not that it would have done much damage to him now." ''His opponent was finally geting serious, there could be no room for mistake now. Exploding into action Ryuichi flickered, as he glided through the forest, firing four shots in Keigai's general direction, but strangely enough they all missed. With Keigai's keen senses, he would hear the soft murmur of an incantation, a long-winded one at that, possibly indicating the casting two or more spells at once. "''What's he up to?" Keigai thought. Despite his return to sanity for the first time in several years, he seemed to care very little. "I'll have to be quick..." he thought, lifting up one of his hook swords. Electricity surrounded it as he leaped into action. Ryuichi didnt have to wait long, as Keigai charged into action. "Just a little bit closer." Two of his four shots ricochet off nearby tree's and earth, hurtling towards Keigai's sides in a surprise pincer attack. In that same instant, Ryuichi releases the built up spiritual pressure, as a bright man-sized pentagonal Quincy cross begins to materialize to stop his movements, while spikes of energy shoot from the ground, tree's and canopy to pierce and further immobilize Keigai. These attacks weren't as simple as the ones earlier, narrowly piercing Keigai through his sides. Stuck in an attack position, Keigai peered at Ryuichi through his mask. "You are a complex little fellow" Keigai said, trying to move. Ryuichi glided down towards Keigai, with an inquisitive expression. Touching the ground lightly he regarded the being before him curiously, and after a moment lowered his weapon. "You seem different than before. Yes...how odd. You seem to have regained your sanity. And by donning your Hollow mask no less. Interesting. To be honest the only reason I've sought to kill you is because you were mentally unstable. Care to explain?" He asked. While it seemed that Ryuichi had lowered his guard, he had done anything but. Evident by the fact that he could redirect his bullets, the current angle of his barrel would allow him to bounce his shots directly towards Keigai's vitals. Glancing at Ryuichi through his mask, Keigai let out a chuckle. "If you must know, I have no idea... I often resort to my mask in unneeded moments, guess the shock of almost dying snapped me back into my old self" Keigai said. Exerting his spiritual energy, the spiritual shackles that pierced his abdomen shattered. He placed a hand on his mask and said "I probably don't have much more time before this mask wheres off, I'm pretty sure my sanity will slip away with it" Keigai said. "Hn. Dont you think it strange that it is not through synchronizing with your Zanpakutou but with your inner Hollow that you regain your sanity?" He said questioningly. "No..it must be the use of your Hollow powers that does it. The Zanpakutou and Hollow are one in the same. So that begs the question...why? Well, I hope you don't mind being apart of a little experiment now." With a flick of his wrist, another Garganta opened, directly behind Keigai, though this one was big enough for a Gillian to fit through. "Hueco Mundo should be the perfect environment no?" He didnt waste much time, as he charged into Keigai, attempting to bull rush the Vizard into the dimensional gateway. Side-stepping the charge, Keigai watched as Ryuichi slipped into the Garganta. "If its a change of scenery you wanted, you could have just asked." Keigai said, leaping through. The World of White Sand Appearing through the Garganta, Keigai admired the worlds very lofty and simple design. "I don't like to play games..." Keigai said, contradicting his normal persona. His hook swords in hand, he waited for Ryuichi to move. For a moment, Ryuichi marveled at the world of Hueco Mundo, nothing more than a barren wasteland, yet so full of power. There was another reason he wanted to do battle here, here in this realm, there was a boundless supply of reiryoku for him to absorb and with ADA at his side...he wasn't going to worry about running out of spiritual energy. He turned to face the Visored, cocking his head to the side questioningly, thoughts of all kinds bombarded his mind. "Hn." his eyes darted left and right, as though reading something. Given his abilities, Keigai wouldn't doubt for a second that Ryuichi was analyzing his spiritual energy. "It's too soon to tell if there's any difference. I suppose we'll just have to see if using your Hollow powers here will change anything." He shoved another silver-tube cartridge into ZEUS's magazine. "Your mask has a limit right? Lets not waste this opportunity." Ryuichi flickered, moving at high-speeds like a dragon swimming through the sky, raining shot after shot on his opponent, before abruptly stopping, as spiritual energy charged in a large glowing sphere at the tip of ZEUS's barrel, before letting loose a powerful beam of energy, that cracked like thunder upon fire. Side stepping each shot with Shunpō, Keigai smirked. "Your just like me when I was younger kid, maybe thats what brought me back..." Keigai said. His mind seemed to drift away, but not enough to be caught off guard. He lifted up his hook swords, generating electricity around him in small bursts. Keigai glanced at Ryuichi through his mask. "Forgive the pun, but I hope this isn't too shocking!" Keigai called. Despite his sanity returning, Keigai seemed to have inherited his witty remarks and nimble creativity. Ryuichi quickly summoned forth a defensive magical barrier, a cascade of bright glowing sigils manifested in front of him to defend against the attack. He wasnt going to be taken by surprise. He knew the power Hollowification brought to its wielder, and true enough, Keigai's lightning attack violently clashed against his barrier, and in that instant Ryuichi knew he had only bought himself a bit of time. Thankfully he was in an environment that gave him an advantage, however small, as spiritrons gathered beneath his feet, propelling at high speeds. He barely managed his evasive maneuever in time as Keigai's attack shattered his barrier, surging through his previous location. "Damn...that mask increased not only the power of his attacks but their speed as well." He glanced at the electricity dancing across the scorched part of his sleeve. Evidently he hadnt moved quickly enough, as his arm began to spasm. "Master!" ADA said worriedly. "I'm fine. Just regulate enough power to my arm to fix it." he replied. "Understood master." She exited his thoughts as he felt energy flow through his arm, repelling the negative effects of Keigai's attack. Luckily this had only spanned a few seconds real time. Ryuichi's posture changed, before he had been relaxed, nonchalant even, but after that last attack, it seems that he was now going to take things seriously. But he could keep up, with ADA on his side and his use of Ransotengai to heighten his speed and reflexes, he stood a good chance against the Hollow empowered Shinigami. "Hmph, I expected more than just a simple frontal attack, Shinigami. Or maybe you're just too...shocked that a mere Quincy can keep up with you, even in your Hollowified state." Ryuichi clicked his tongue. "How the mighty have fallen." "I guess I can add a little... spark to my attacks!" Keigai said. The joke was getting old. Stabbing both of his hook swords into the ground, Keigai leaped back. "Momoryū" Keigai called, causing a torrent of lightning to fire from the swords. Taking the shape of a giant electrical dragon, Keigai pointed a finger forward. "You weren't liking how I was holding back with those frontal attacks, I'll step it up a bit" Keigai said. The dragon of lightning bellowed, quickly circling Keigai. Ryuichi wasted no time, an incantation flying off his lips as he moved around Keigai, unleashing a barrage of rectangular beams of spiritual energy. As he completed his revolution six Sacred Bite's sped towards Keigai, as they smashed into his spiraling dragon, while Ryuichi prepared for his next move. "I have total control over lightning in all of its attributes, destroying it won't do much!" Keigai called. The electricity began to surge, reshaping into several dozen smaller dragon-shaped beings. Lifting up a hook sword, Keigai swiped it; sending the armada of dragons towards Ryuichi. "Che. I suppose such low level magic wont even dent his defenses." Ryuichi thought. Flying through the air, he glanced back to see the brigade of lightning dragons, hot on his trail, narrowing his eyes as one dragon surged forward, its jaws snapping wildly at him as it attempted to bite him. He flickered from his space, appearing higher above the dragon, diving to the side as another had tried to slam him with its tail, only to disappear once more as another attempted to tear him asunder from below. The other dragons abruptly descended, as Ryuichi appeared on the ground, ZEUS aimed and ready to fire, as the thundering dragons converged on his position. A single phrase escaped his lips, his voice cold and unfeeling. "Hell's Arrow of Judgement." He fired a single luminous beam, penetrating into the first dragon causing it to comically expand before disintegrating into light. It continued its trajectory, before changing paths continuously as it endlessly peppered the dragons as they tried to evade destruction but to no avail. Within seconds Ryuichi had managed to decimate Keigai's attack. He turned to face his opponent, a neutral expression on his face, as he regarded his opponent. "You'll have to do better than tha-" Ryuichi didn't have time to finish as a hidden dragon erupted from directly below the sands, engulfing him in its mouth with a resounding snap. Seconds later it detonated, a booming and cackling explosion illuminating the night sky of Hueco Mundo. As the smoke cleared, Ryuichi stood at its center, surrounded on all sides by a pyramid of magical sigils. But it was obvious that he hadn't escaped unscathed, as various burns decorated his body, blood dripping down his face and his glasses shattered. With a steady hand he removed their remanants, tossing them to the side. Yet he remained stoic, emotion never betraying his face as he stared down his opponent, rearing ZEUS in his hands once again. It was evident that if Keigai wanted to finish off his opponent, he would need to use every drop of power he had. The real battle had just begun. Keigai looked on towards the show Ryuichi had put on for him and smirked through his mask. "Not bad" Keigai said, unsure of what move to make next. "Alright then.." Keigai said, giving a spin to his hook swords. "No matter how fast you go, you can't out do me kid" Keigai said, disappearing instantly. Appearing above Ryuichi, Keigai gave a twirl and swiped his blades. Sending forward a jolt of electricity, the bolt went straight for Ryuichi. A magical barrier appeared above and the side of Ryuichi as he dived to the side, electricity cackling as it crashed into his barrier, before shattering it and turning the sand where he once was into glass. But the barrier had served its purpose as he rolled into a low crouch, ZEUS at ready. Spiritual energy was leeched from the nearby surroundings, rubble and dust rising, a low rumbling hum resounding from the barrel of ZEUS before he fired a single powerful and equally deadly shot. The beam was over a foot thick, and at this range, Keigai would have very little chance of dodging. Keigai wasn't phased by the incoming attack. He felt his mask cracking and figured that he had little time left with the mask. "Might as well not let it go to waist..." Keigai said, as the shot came toward him. Taking the shot head on, the mask crumbled instantly, the last of his Visored abilities funneled into a tightly kneaded Hierro. Causing a small plume of dust to arise, Keigai was masked from sight. Ryuichi didnt even need to concentrate on focusing his enhanced spiritual senses to know that Keigai was far from beaten, though it seems his Hollow powers had been used up. "A pity. It seems that even in Hueco Mundo, his Hollow side remains largely dormant and uncontrolled. No increased synergy, and there didnt appear to be any change in the duration that he could maintain his mask. How unfortunate. I had hoped he would have been able to quell his psychosis. He's too much of a danger...I'll have to terminate him." Rearing the Anti-Soul weapon, Ryuichi began the final phase of this battle. "O piteous souls, anchored by sin, thy forlorn wails beseech the heavens, ye walls of damnation, stilfing all hope, eternally forgotten. Prison of the Damned!" As he spoke the command, an agonizing moan wailed, accompanied by the manifestation of spiritual energy drawn from the environment traced thick crimson lines in the air above them. As the magic carved itself into the realm, each line, each symbol boomed with a terrible screech like nails against stone. The sound of tortured souls echoed out, as the magic sigil stretched itself across the landscape, vast and wide in its reach, until it anchored itself to the very ground. This barrier would serve to prevent or at the very least occupy Keigai's time if he ever tried to escape, and lastly, well, the spell also augmented Ryuichi's reiryoku absorption abilities, allowing him to draw upon even greater amounts. In an instant he felt his reserves begin to replenish themselves, all the while sucking the precious energy out of Keigai, like a jagged knife ripping through his spine. With his Hollow powers gone, his sanity left with it. "Gonna need more then that!" Keigai called, spiritual energy erupting around him. "BANKAI!" he called, following a demonic cackle. "Garyū no Shison" he stated, from within the barrier Keigai was trapped in. Appearing in a new attire and wielding a modified sword with a hooked curve to it, Keigai boasted monstrous spiritual energy. He glanced at the structure without interest. A thick veil of electricity surrounded him, moments before he shot himself forward. Flying forward, Keigai slammed head first into the barrier's wall making a small hole. "Kangekiha no Yori!" he called as he escaped the prison. "I'm to old for a play pen!" he mocked, giving a spin as he escaped the barrier. His eyes locked with Ryuichi, he remembered what happened when his Hollow powers were present and gave Ryuichi a smile. "I was pretty boring last time we talked, get ready for some real fun!" he said, rather ominously. Lifting up both hands, his sword gripped between the two, he called out loud "Kangekiha!." A wave of electricity blasted forward, aimed directly at Ryuichi. Ryuichi momentarily covered his eyes when his opponent released his Bankai, the abrupt spike in Keigai's reiatsu nearly blinding him on the spot. He recovered well enough to see the newest changes on his opponent, noting the substantial increase in the latter's concentration and increased lethality of his lightning that was now cackling like a wild thunderous maelstrom. "Damn! He can use Bankai too!?" "I would suggest immediate evasion, followed by retreat Master. At our current level, there is less than a 9.63% chance of defeating him in combat." the artificial zanpakutou stated. "If...he was in full control, I would agree with you. However, his fractured mind makes his unpredictability...predictable. He wont adapt like others will, and he's shown that he'll react towards our obvious attacks and movements. Given our environment, and the present factors, that increases our chances to 40.84%. If I remove this modified Sanrei Glove...your ''Spiritual Cross Link, should prevent me from entering the true Final Form, but the boost it will provide should be close enough to tip the scales in our favor. Ready ADA?"'' There was a moment of silence as ADA contemplated her masters command. They were still in the experimental stage, an undertaking like this could be devastating, he could lose his Quincy powers! But...she relented, if Ryuichi believed in her as he did, than she would do her best to fulfill those wishes. As her purpose. "Understood Master. Releasing Control Restriction System, commencing the Oppenheimer invocation. Ability restrictions temporarily lifted. Time remaining until system overload T-minus three minutes." "So little time?" He asked. "Yes, the environment of Hueco Mundo serves to augment your ability to absorb ambient spiritual particles, Boost Drive system is unable to sustain the input/output ration for any longer. This is all the time I can provide sir." ADA replied. "Then thats all I need." ''As his perceptions returned to reality, he could feel an immense power wash over him, engulfing the entirety of his being, moments before Keigai's attack struck, and all he saw was white. Final Conflict The burst of light erupted from Ryuichi's form expanded outward in a bluish white dome of pure spiritual power with a defeaning boom, as waves or raw unadulterated rippled out pulsing in wave after wave. The skies of Hueco Mundo were illuminated by the sheer brilliance of this spiritual power, that no shadow could escape its light. When finally the light died down, there at its epicenter a figured cloaked by thick smoke of spiritual particles, his form obscured. When the smoke cleared, in the eye of this maelstrom of power, Ryuichi stood. Dressed in a black uniform, with a black zippered vest cut just above his abdomen, the outfit seemed like an amalgam between the Quincy Final Form, and the uniform of a Shinigami. He was wreathed by an almost tangible aura of bluish white spiritual energy surrounding him like a flame, his intentions clear behind his icy gaze. He raised his arms to his sides, as spiritual energy was ripped from the sand below him, drawn into a vagualy oval shape around his hands. He grasped the balls of energy, only for them to ''transform into a pair of guns. But these were different than before, no, instead of the Colts M1911's he had before these were stark white Desert Eagles. Bringing them to his front, they charged instantly, the sand below him flattening a few feet as they were turned into reishi. The blast rang out, as he fired, an enormous beam of energy, eerily reminiscent of a Cero, yet its power was easily comparable to a Gran Rey Cero. And it was heading directly towards Keigai. Bankai or no, their final battle had begun. "This song sucks!" Keigai called, breaking the fourth wall. He watched as the blast came towards him and he reacted without even flinching. Keigai leaped upward, his speed obviously outmatching that of Ryuichi's. Underestimating the attack's speed however, Keigai felt the blunt of the attack strike through his leg. Searing away his hakama and scalding his leg, Keigai quickly plummeted toward the ground, slamming into the sandy desert and creating a plume of sand and debris. Giving a sneer, Keigai's vision blurred. "Wh- Whats going on" he said, a different tone present. "We're having fun!" Keigai said. "This is weird" he said in another tone once more. Gripping his head, Keigai howled in pain. Slamming down his hook sword in anger, a wall of electricity shot down from the sky and surrounded him. Ordinarily Ryuichi would have paused, but he didn't have much time left and he wasnt one to waste an opportunity. His opponent was weakened, and now would be the perfect time to strike while he had the time. The Desert Eagles once again were consumed in energy, before the energy expanded around Ryuichi's entire body enveloping him. In moments the spiritual energy burst revealing, Ryuichi affixed to what appeared to be a weapon of epic proportions. It was similar in appearance to ZEUS though in size the Anti-Soul Arm was as large as a vehicle, its barrel over fifteen in length, with ruts supporting it all along the shaft. At its "trigger" stood Ryuichi whose body was obscured by much of the mechanical behemoth. "Perhaps if we had met under different circumstances, we could have been allies. Unfortunately you are too much of a danger, I can't let you live. Hopefully you wont suffer much from this attack." His resolve cemented, Ryuichi began the lengthy incantation. "In hellish darkness beyond blackest pitch," a colossal amount of energy began to collect at the barrel of Ryuichi's modified ZEUS, the very air warping around it as energy coalesced into a physical form. "...ye sea of chaos, deeper than deepest night," a guttural sound emanated from the weapon, almost like a low roar, growing louder and more fierce with each passing second. "...thy realm of infernos be thy cage, the gates of destruction have risen," The ground began to shake violently, as the power being channeled began to rip chunks from the desert of Hueco Mundo up into the air. Ryuichi was nearly finished, though he hoped that whatever had caused Keigai's current distress lasted just a little bit more time. It was taking longer than normal as ADA was working overtime to keep his body from unexpectedly expiring from the massive amounts of spiritual energy he was not gathering. This attack would drain most of the power of this new form, but if he could kill Keigai with this next attack so be it. This was his opportunity to end it. The blast, demonic in size and visage, came towards Keigai at tremendous speeds. "Nice job dummy! We're dead now!" Keigai thought, he could not react in time. "I'm afraid I can't allow this..." said a voice, followed by the loud roar of a motorcycle. Seated upon the iron stallion, a man in blue clothing with a unique gun holstered at his side rode through the skies of with tremendous speed. Gripping Keigai by the collar, he quickly avoided the resulting blast, watching as it literally tore the surrounding area to shreds. "You owe me one fool..." said the rider, elbowing Keigai on the head whom he had tossed across the back of his motorcycle. Driving back around, the man quickly pulled next to Ryuichi and saw how depleted he was. "Your a Quincy... are you not?" asked the man, staring contently at Ryuichi. Ryuichi hadn't even completed the incantation for his spell before it unexpectedly fired on its own. It hadn't reached full yet, and to be honest...he wasnt even sure if what he did was possible. Apparently trying to control that much power at one time was too much for him. Once the blast was released all of the energy he had instantly disappeared, forcing him to revert to his normal state. He collapsed to his knee's in exhaustion as the stranger parked next to his prone form. ''Master. My sensors indicate that he's-''" "''Yes I know ADA. He's human. And a Quincy at that." he interrupted. Bringing himself to standing position, he tried to play off how tired he was, but seeing the strangers expression it was obvious he wasnt fooled by the act. "As are you it seems." he says between breaths. "Which is quite unexpected. I didn't think I'd see another Quincy." His eyes flickered to the concious or unconcious deranged Shinigami on the latters bike. "Which begs the question, what do you plan on doing now?" Normally meetings between fellow Quincy would have a joyous occasion, given how few of them existed, but given the circumstances, Ryuichi wasnt sure which side this stranger was on. Kusagi stared contently at Ryuichi, revving his motorcycle as he did so. "Your to weak to fight me... don't try to hide it. I'm also afraid that I can't let you take this one out yet..." Kusagi said, patting his hand onto Keigai's head. He revved his engine once more. "If you need anything, I'm always around. We are both Quincies after all..." Kusagi said, punching onto the pedal. Speeding through the skies, a opened in front of him, bringing Keigai with him. The Garganta closed and another re-opened next to Ryuichi, Kusagi was sure to give him a safe exit as well. "Things are certainly becoming more interesting around here?" "Aside from that, I believe we have quite a bit of data to review master. Your transformation was an unexpected success." replied ADA. "Indeed. There is much work to be done ADA." he said. Glancing at the Garganta in front of him, he reluctantly stepped inside, taking the fellow Quincy's "gift" as he proceeded to head home. Category:Illuminate Void Category:Hohenheim of Light Category:Fanfiction